alicenations: Adriana em Oxfordland

THE LEWIS CARROLL CENTENARY PROGRAMME 1998

CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD.

Between the dates of 16 and 22 August 1998, The Lewis Carroll Society, in collaboration with the University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education and with Christ Church itself, held what probably remains as the largest ever gathering of Carrollians to date, the Lewis Carroll Centenary Programme. Almost 150 participants signed up to stay in rooms in Christ Church for a week, hailing from the UK, USA, Japan, Sweden, Australia, France, Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Italy, Slovenia – there was even one young lady from Brazil!

Christ Church is the largest college in Oxford, and Oxford is England’s oldest university, so the grounds and buildings resound with history going back to the days of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey. However, the focus of this conference was, as hinted at by the name, one of Christ Church’s most famous former dons, Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Dodgson, and who spent most of his life teaching mathematics within the mighty walls of the college. He died in 1898, and this Programme was timed to commemorate his passing.

The Programme took the form of six packed days of lectures, tours, readings, film and theatrical events, and light-hearted games and quizzes. These were all punctuated by a series of magnificent meals, all taken in the awesome dining hall at the college (nowadays made even more famous as the Hogwarts’ dining hall in the Harry Potter films) where the attendees dressed formally for dinner, and which ended with an even dressier Gala Dinner on the Friday night that spilled out afterwards onto the lawn where the clink of wine glasses rivalled the hubbub of enthusiastic conversation. The principal LCS speakers for the week were Anne Clark Amor, Selwyn Goodacre, Mark Richards and Edward Wakeling, augmented by a number of expert guests, and there were two or three lectures every day, covering a range of topics to do with Carroll’s life and work. The evening entertainments (which included a Betty Boop film ‘Betty in Blunderland’ and a Mickey Mouse ‘Through the Mirror’ along with several other intriguing oddities from David Schaefer’s collection; music inspired by Alice; and a display of Alice merchandise) began at 8.30pm after dinner in the Hall, and ended at 10pm, leaving delegates free either to go to bed at a sensible time or to stay up and get drunk with their friends, old and new. Most did the latter! But no matter how late (or early) in the day it was, there were always plenty of LCS volunteers (in addition to the ever-approachable main speakers) ready to help with advice, guidance, information, and anything else you needed, chief among them being Sarah Stanfield, Catherine Richards, Alan White and Michael Vine.

Guided tours took place on four of the afternoons (Wednesday was left free for people to explore Oxford by themselves) and there were difficult choices to be made each day. Did one opt for a tour of Christ Church, including Carroll’s rooms, Tom Tower (normally closed to the public), and the Deanery and Cathedral Gardens, or attend the special exhibition in the Christ Church Picture Gallery? Should one have gone on the circuit of Oxford libraries or the one of Oxford museums? Did you want to visit the Treacle Well at Binsey or Looking-Glass Land at Nuneham Courtenay? Would it have been better to follow in Carroll’s footsteps around Christ Church Meadow and the colleges frequented by him through his friendships with University colleagues, or to reconstruct Isa Bowman’s walk with him round Oxford, taking in the Botanical Gardens, the gargoyles and deer park at Magdalen, and the gardens of St. John’s College? Nine tours and only four afternoons – there just wasn’t time to fit everything in.

But there was always ample time for talking and for making new friends. Some of the avid Carrollians I met in 1998 have become friends for life – well, they’ve managed eleven years so far! – and that week among the dreaming spires of Oxford in company with so many wonderful people remains in my memory as one of the most fascinating and joyous weeks I’ve ever had. When can I register for the 2098 Bicentenary Programme?

Michael O’Connor

Chegada em Christ Church.

Em agosto de 1998, depois de duas semanas em Londres estudando inglês, fui para Oxford participar da comemoração do Centenário da Morte de Lewis Carroll. Esse evento foi promovido pela Sociedade Inglesa de Lewis Carroll, da qual eu já era membro. Passamos uma semana inteira em Christ Church onde Carroll era professor de lógica e matemática e onde viveu quase toda a sua vida. Eu era a única brasileira que estava lá.

Lugares visitados em Oxford relacionados à vida e a obra de Lewis Carroll.

Pátio central de Christ Church.

Christ Curch.

Mapa dos arredores.

Loja da Alice. Curiosidades, lembranças e memorabilias

numa loja graciosa em frente à Christ Church. Leia sobre a história da loja: ME ENCONTRE

Onde Alice Liddell e Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) viveram.

Jardins de Christ Church.

Partida vitoriana de Croquet.

Jogo de Croquet em "Alice no país das Maravilhas".

Ilustração de Margaret Tarrant.

Janela de onde Dodgson (Carroll) via as filhas de Henry Liddell,

Alice, Edith e Lorina, brincarem no gramado.

Ilustração de Jô Oliveira inspirada no tema.

Jardim do pátio do Deão Henry Liddell. A portinha que conduzia ao outro pátio permanecia quase sempre trancada. Assim o “belo jardim” que ficava do outro lado, era um território proibido para as crianças. Era esse, entretanto, o caminho mais curto de Henry Liddell para a catedral. Essa portinha influenciou diretamente a obra de Carroll.

Ilustração de John Tenniel para o momento da “portinha trancada que leva ao jardim proibido”.

A árvore que pode ter inspirado a cena do gato de Cheshire.

Alice e o gato de Tenniel em Oxford.

Passeio a Nuneham, parte da programação do Centenário de Carroll. Na imagem ao centro podemos ver o relógio de Sol que inspirou a ilustração de Tenniel para a cena do Jabberwocky. Com o braço estendido e a camiseta de Alice está Edward Wakeling, eminete estudioso da vida e da obra de Lewis Carroll.

Illustração de Tenniel para esta cena.

Passeios programados para o evento e conduzidos por estudiosos e profundos conhecedores da vida e da obra de Lewis Carroll. De camisa vermelha na primeira foto está Alan White, por muitos anos editor da revista carrolliniana Bandersnatch.

Entre os participantes do evento encontramos membros das Sociedades de Lewis Carroll ao redor do mundo, como da Inglaterra, dos Estados Unidos, Canada, Austrália, Nova Zelândia e Japão. Estudiosos, literatos, colecionadores, artistas, aficcionados e admiradores.

Palestras e debates sobre temas ligados a Lewis Carroll.

Estão na foto na mesa, Catherine Richards (em pé), Edward Wakeling, Charlie Lovett, anne Clark Amor, Sewyn Goodacre e Mark Richards no palanque.